List of water deities

A water deity is a deity in mythology associated with water or various bodies of water. Water deities are common in mythology and were usually more important among civilizations in which the sea or ocean, or a great river was more important. Another important focus of worship of water deities were springs or holy wells.

Aztec mythology

• Tlaloc, god of thunder, rain, and earthquakes.
• Chalchiuhtlicue, goddess of water, lakes, rivers, seas, streams, horizontal waters, storms, and baptism.
• Huixtocihuatl, goddess of salt.
• Opochtli, god of fishing.
• Tlaloques, gods of drops.
• Tlaloquetotontli, goddess of the rivers.

Ainu mythology

• Repun Kamui, god of the sea

Canaanite mythology

• Yam (god), god of rivers and the sea

Celtic mythology

• Acionna (Gaulish) - a water goddess/genius loci of the Orleanais region and the Essonne
• Belisama, goddess of lakes and rivers, fire, crafts and light
• Boann - goddess of the River Boyne (Irish)
• Dylan Eil Ton (Welsh)
• Grannus, a god associated with spas, the sun, fires and healing thermal and mineral springs
• Lir (Irish), god of the sea
• Llŷr (Welsh), god of the sea
• Manannán mac Lir (Irish), god of the sea
• Nodens, god associated with healing, the sea, hunting and dogs
• Sinann (Irish), goddess of the River Shannon
• Sequana (Gaulish), goddess of the River Seine

Chinese mythology

• Wang Yuanpu (Dong Wanggong, Eastern King). King of the Palace of the Eastern Seas
• Gong Gong, water god who is responsible for the great floods, together with his associate, Xiang Yao
• Feng Yi (Hebo), god of the Yellow River
• Mazu, water goddess and protector of seafarers
• Guo Pu, Immortal of the Water Realm.

Dragon Kings of the Four Seas

• Ao Guang, Dragon King of the Eastern Sea
• Ao Qin, Dragon King of the Southern Sea
• Ao Run, Dragon King of the Western Sea
• Ao Shun, Dragon King of the Northern Sea

God-Kings of the Four Seas

• Wang Duyuan, God-King of the Eastern Sea
• Kai Na Ling, God-King of the Southern Sea
• Dao Dongqing, God-King of the Western Sea
• Xi Yuanyuan, God-King of the Northern Sea

Gods of the Four Seas

• A Ming, God of the Eastern Sea
• Zhou Liang, God of the Southern Sea
• Ju Cheng, God of the Western Sea
• Yu Qiang, God of the Northern Sea

Gods of the Five Waters

• He Guiju, God of the Eastern Sea
• Liu Xiao, God of the Southern Sea
• Guo Shu, God of the Western Sea
• Wu Yuquang, God of the Northern Sea
• Feng Yi, He Bo/Ho Po, God of the Yellow River

• Long mu, Goddess of the Xijiang River in Lingnan area
• Ehuang & Nuying, Goddesses of the Xiang River
• Wu Yuan, God of the Qiantang River in Huangzhou
• Lady Youle, Goddess of the Le River, a branch of the Yellow River

Egyptian mythology

• Hapi, god of the annual flooding of the Nile
• Anuket, goddess of the Nile, and nourisher of the fields
• Nephthys, goddess of rivers
• Khnum, god of the Nile River
• Sobek, god of the Nile river, depicted as a crocodile or a man with the head of a crocodile.
• Tefnut, goddess of water and fertility
• Anubis, god of funerals
• Osiris, god of death
• Bastet goddess of the hunt and patron of cats

Fon/Ewe mythology

• Agwé, a sea loa
• Mami Wata, a water loa
• Clermeil, a river loa
• Pie, a lake and river loa

Fijian mythology

• Daucina, god of seafaring
• Dakuwaqa, a shark god

Finnish mythology

• Ahti, god of the depths and fish
• Iku-Turso, a malevolent sea monster
• Vedenemo, a goddess of water
• Vellamo, the wife of Ahti, goddess of the sea, lakes and storms.

Greek mythology

• Aegaeon, god of violent sea storms and ally of the Titans
• Achelous, Greek river god
• Akheilos, shark-shaped sea spirit
• Alpheus, river god in Arcadia
• Amphitrite, sea goddess and consort of Poseidon
• Anapos, water god of eastern Sicily
• Brizo, goddess of sailors
• Carcinus, a giant crab who allied itself with the Hydra against Heracles. When it died, Hera placed it in the sky as the constellation Cancer
• Ceto, goddess of the dangers of the ocean and of sea monsters
• Charybdis, a sea monster and spirit of whirlpools and the tide
• Cymopoleia, a daughter of Poseidon and goddess of giant storm waves
• Delphin, the leader of the dolphins, Poseidon placed him in the sky as the constellation Delphinus
• Doris, goddess of the sea's bounty and wife of Nereus
• Eidothea, prophetic sea nymph and daughter of Proteus
• Electra, an Oceanid, consort of Thaumas
• Eurybia, goddess of the mastery of the seas
• Galene (Γαλήνη), goddess of calm seas
• Glaucus, the fisherman's sea god
• Gorgons, three monstrous sea spirits
  • Stheno
  • Euryale
  • Medusa
• The Graeae, three ancient sea spirits who personified the white foam of the sea; they shared one eye and one tooth between them
• The Harpies, winged spirits of sudden, sharp gusts of wind
• Hippocampi, the horses of the sea
• The Ichthyocentaurs, a pair of centaurine sea-gods with the upper bodies of men, the lower fore-parts of horses, ending in the serpentine tails of fish
  • Bythos
  • Aphros
• Ladon, a hundred-headed sea serpent who guarded the western reaches of the sea, and the island and golden apples of the Hesperides
• Leucothea, a sea goddess who aided sailors in distress
• Nerites, watery consort of Aphrodite and/or beloved of Poseidon
• Nereus, the old man of the sea, and the god of the sea's rich bounty of fish
• Nymphs
  • Naiades, fresh water nymphs
  • Nereides, sea nymphs
  • Oceanides, Ocean water nymphs
• Oceanus, Titan god of the Earth-encircling river Okeanos, the font of all the Earth's fresh-water
• Pan, Patron God of fishing
• Palaemon, a young sea god who aided sailors in distress
• Phorcys, god of the hidden dangers of the deep
• Pontus, primeval god of the sea, father of the fish and other sea creatures
• Poseidon, king of the sea and lord of the sea gods; also god of rivers, storms, flood and drought, earthquakes, and horses. His Roman equivalent is Neptune.
• Potamoi, deities of rivers, fathers of Naiads, brothers of the Oceanids, and as such, the sons of Oceanus and Tethys.
• Proteus, a shape-shifting, prophetic old sea god, and the herdsman of Poseidon's seals
• Psamathe, goddess of sand beaches
• Scylla, a Nereid metamorphosed into a sea monster
• The Sirens, three sea nymphs who lured sailors to their death with their song
• The Telchines, sea spirits native to the island of Rhodes; the gods killed them when they turned to evil magic
• Tethys, Titan goddess of the sources fresh-water, and the mother of the rivers (Potamoi), springs, streams, fountains and clouds
• Thalassa, primordial goddess of the sea
• Thaumas, god of the wonders of the sea and father of the Harpies and the rainbow goddess Iris
• Thetis, leader of the Nereids who presided over the spawning of marine life in the sea, mother of Achilles
• Triteia, daughter of Triton and companion of Ares
• Triton, fish-tailed son and herald of Poseidon
• Tritones, fish-tailed spirits in Poseidon's retinue
• Amitaf, goddess of mermaids and the most beautiful of all mermaids

Hawaiian mythology

• Kanaloa, god of the ocean
• Kamohoalii, shark god
• Nāmaka, sea goddess
• Ukupanipo, shark god who controls the amount of fish close enough for the fisherman to catch

Hindu/Vedic mythology

• Apam Napat, god of fresh water, such as in rivers and lakes
• Ganga goddess of the Ganges River and purity.
• Varuna (celestial ocean)
• Various rivers associated with goddesses in the Rigveda, such as Sarasvati (Sarasvati River) and Yamuna, the sister of Yamdev

Igbo mythology

• Idemili, a river alusi
• Ogbuide, a lake alusi
• Urashi, a river alusi

Incan mythology

• Pariacaca, god of water and rainstorms
• Paricia, god who sent a flood to kill humans who did not respect him adequately

Inuit mythology

• Aipaloovik, an evil sea god associated with death and destruction
• Alignak, a lunar deity and god of weather, water, tides, eclipses, and earthquakes
• Arnapkapfaaluk, a fearsome sea goddess
• Idliragijenget, god of the ocean
• Nootaikok, god who presided over icebergs and glaciers
• Sedna, goddess of the sea

Japanese mythology

• Mizuchi, Japanese dragon and sea god
• Ōhoyamatsumi, god of mountains, sea and war
• Ryūjin or Watatsumi, Japanese dragon and tutelary deity of the sea
• Suijin, Shinto god of water
• Susanoo, Shinto god of storms and the sea

Lusitanian Mythology

• Bandua, theonym associated with fountains.
• Duberdicus, god of the sea and rivers.
• Durius, personification of the Douro river.

Lithuanian mythology

• Bangpūtys, god of sea and storm
• Anusehx, God of the nighttime

Māori mythology

• Ikatere, a fish god, the father of all the sea creatures including mermaids
• Tangaroa, god of the sea

Mesopotamian mythology

• Amathaunta, goddess of the ocean
• Abzu, god of fresh water, father of all other gods
• Asherah, Mother goddess whose title is "She Who Walks Upon the Sea"
• Enbilulu, god of rivers and canals
• Enki, god of water and of the River Tigris
• Marduk, god associated with water, vegetation, judgment, and magic
• Nammu, goddess of the primeval sea
• Nanshe, goddess of Persian Gulf, social justice, prophecy, fertility and fishing
• Sirsir, god of mariners and boatmen
• Tiamat, goddess of salt water and chaos, also mother of all gods

Norse/Germanic mythology

• Ægir, personification of the sea
• Mímir, god of the spring of Mímisbrunnr, which gives the drinker wisdom and Odin sacrificed an eye to drink from
• Rán, sea goddess of love who collects the drowned in a net
• Nine Daughters of Ægir, who personify the characteristics of waves
• Njord, god of the sea, particularly of seafaring
• Nehalennia, goddess of the North Sea
• Nerthus, goddess of lakes, springs, holy waters
• Nix, water spirits who usually appear in human form

Persian/Zoroastrian mythology

• Anahita, the divinity of 'the Waters' (Aban) and hence associated with fertility, healing and wisdom.
• Tishtrya, Zoroastrian benevolent divinity associated with life-bringing rainfall and fertility.
• Haurvatat, he Amesha Spenta associated with water, prosperity, and health in post-Gathic Zoroastrianism

Philippine mythology

• Amanikable, ill- tempered god of the sea
• Haik, another god of the sea
• Amansinaya, god of fishermen
• Sirena, mermaid
• Siyokoy, merman
• Magwayen, goddess of the sea
• Lidagat, daughter of Magwayen

Pirate lore

• Davy Jones, the Devil of the seas

Roman mythology

• Fontus, god of wells and springs
• Juturna, goddess of fountains, wells, and springs
• Neptune, king of the sea
• Salacia, Neptune's queen
• Tiberinus, the genius of the river Tiber.
• Volturnus, god of the waters
• Coventina, Goddess of a sacred spring at Carrawburgh, on Hadrian's Wall

Slavic mythology

• Vodyanoi, water demon who lived in lakes and rivers
• Rusalki, female ghosts, water nymphs, succubi or mermaid-like demons that dwell in waterways.
• Veles, god of earth, waters, and the underworld
• Pereplut (rus. Переплу́т), god of alcohol and rivers

The Tonga of Zimbabwe

• Nyami Nyami, a river spirit

Yoruba mythology

• Yemoja, an ocean orisha
• Oshun, a river orisha
• Olokun, an ocean orisha

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Water deities.

• Holy wells
• Nadi (yoga)
• Nature worship
• Sea monster
• Water Cakra
• Water spirit

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